Some areas of California (where I live) have been having record breaking summer heat this year, which is only making the honey bee problem worse. My local extension office has an article explaining how honey bees are stressed by temperatures over 100 degrees. Apparently when the temps get too high, the worker bees stop foraging for pollen and start trying to find water to bring back to the hive.
Those of us living in urban spaces have a responsibility (I think) to help support the bee population. Urban sprawl, pollution, chemical pesticides, and the wide-scale introduction of pretty but pollen-free exotic plants are all bad news for bees.
One thing we can do during the height of summer is to have a water source–such as a bird bath–readily available. You can also check out this post I wrote with more tips to attract and support bees.
Have you had success attracting bees to your garden? What did you do that works?
